Tube-cutter



0. WIEDEKE.

TUBE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1920.

1 357,367, r Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- 0. WIEDEKE. TUBE CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, I920.

Patented N 0v. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFIQE.

oTTo WIEDEKE, 01 DAYTON, onro, ,AS-SIGNQE, crown-HALF To GUSTAV WIEDEKE, an, or DAYTON; OHIO.

TUBE-CUTTER.

Specification of LettersPatentl Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed. March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,694.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OTTQ YVIEDEKE, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Day ton, in the county of h'lontgomery and State of Ohio,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in T ube-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto new and useful improvements in boiler tube cutters and is an improvement of the boiler tube cutter shown and described in the patent to Gustav lViedeke, No. 7 78,298,0f Dec. 27, 1904-.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tube cutter which is suitable for the heaviest class of work. Another object is to provide means which serves to prevent the cutter breaking through the tube and damaging the tool and tube when said tool is forced. Another object is to provide an adjustable indicator, instrumental in determining whenthe cutting operation isfinish ed. And still another object is to provide an improved form of support or bearing for the rollercutt ers.

Referring in general terms to the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a side elevation of my improved tube cutter; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof 011 the line 2-2 of Fig. 3'; Fig. is a section thereof on the line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4: is a plan view of a portion of the tool showing the pilot cutter; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the liollowef cutter; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one end of the tool'showing the adjustable indicator; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the tool; Fig. 8 is an end elevation of one of the rotary cutters and its support; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the bearing pins for the roller cutters; and Fig. lO'is a view of one of the follower cutters in the act of severing a boilertube. I

Throughout the Specification and drawings, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the tool is provided with a body having a front cylindrical portion 1, an interminate housing2, and a rear cylindrical portion 3 with a reduced extension -l The bodyof the tool is hollow and, mounted w'ithinthe same, is a wedge or expanding member The, said wedge -5 is inserted within the tool through an opening -6 in the cylindrical portion -1--. The opening -6 is closed, when the tool is completely assembled, by a sleeve -7 held in positioirby aguide -8 attached to the body portion of the tool by a stud bolt 9. The guide -8- is also instrumental in centering the forward end of the tool in the tube. In addition to the guide 8-, the tool is centered by lugs et2 which extend from the intermediate housing -2. One of the lugs maybe provided with an anti-friction roller a3-. lhe wedge 5 actuates carriers 10 and -1l that are movable in guide slots --12 and -l3 in the intermediate housing --2. The carriersare provided with inclined surfaces in engagement with the wedge whereby the said carriers and cutters move radially outward when the wed e 5 is moved in'an expanding direction. The wedge 5 is provided with a recess which receives a flanged plate ld which cooperates with suitable grooves in the carriers to move said carriers inwardly when the wedge'is moved in a contracting direction is provided with a pin lying in the path or a lug "i6 and which prevents the wedge moving to the right to a position to disengage the said wedge from the carriers.

The carriers l0 and -11 are provided with cutters 15 and l6- which The body portion sever the tube when the carriers are moved outwardly and the tool is rotated. In operation, the left end of the tool is inserted in a tube -17- as'sho'wn'in Fig. 2 and the extent of insertion islimited by a cylindrical guard 19. The said guard 19- is mounted on a sleeve -20-- which is slidingly supported on the cylindrical body portion 3. The guard l9 is adapted to remain stationary when the liody' of-the tool and the sleeve 20- rotates, the guard being attached to the sleeve through the agency of a screw 2l and annular groove 22. The free end of the guard engages the tube sheet -18, and the point at which the tube is to be severed, and the position of the cutters relative to the tube sheet, are controlled by the guard 19. In Fig. 2 the tool is set to sever thetube at a point, on the outside ofthe sheet, which permits the end of the tube to be subsequently beaded? The tool may, however, be set to sever the tube at other points, by relocating the guard, for example, when it is desired to cut the tube on theinside of the sheet 18, prior to its removal from the boiler.

The tool is rotated by means of a ratchet -23-- mounted on the reduced extension --4 and keyed to the body of the tool by lugs (Fig. 1.) The ratchet is engaged by a spring controlled pawl -24- mounted on a lever 25. The lever 25 is freely mounted on the extension and is held thereon by a collar -2G. The said lever 25- is also provided with a threaded end -27 adapted to receive the end of a pipe or handle 28. By oscillating the handle 28 and lever 25 the tool is intermittently rotated. To move the wedge to the right or in an expanding direction, the said wedge is provided with a rod -2 having a threaded end -30 which is received by a nut -31 in engagement with the end of tool. The nut 3l is rotated relative to the body portion of the tool, by a bifurcated handle 32 pivotally attached to the nut by means of trunnions --S3-. The handle -32- may be-moved with the lever -25- through the agency of a pin 34. extending from the lever -25 and lying in the path of the handle 32 when the handle lies at a right angle to the tool. When it is desired to rotate the nut 3lto shift the wedge -5 and to move the cutters out-.

ward whereby they may cut deeper, the handle is rocked out of the path of the pin 3%- and is revolved independent of the remaining portions of the tool. As the cutting operation progresses the threaded end -30 moves out of the nut -31- and the amount of protrusion indicates the position of the cutters. To indicate when the cutters have reached a position which completes the cutting operation, the handle -32 is provided with a yoke 35-, which in turn is provided with an adjustable stop -36- in the form of a screw which lies in the path of the threaded end 30-. When the threaded end 30- comes in contact with the said adjustable stop, the operator will then know that the cutting operation is completed. Owing to the stop 6 being adjustable, the tool may be set to cut tubes of various gages.

In order to prevent the tool working out of the tube during the process of cutting, the pilot cutter 15- is set at an angle as shown in Fig. 4, in which view the angular disposition of the cutter is shown exaggerated to facilitate illustration. The said pilot cutter 15- directs the tool inwardly, which movement is resisted by the guard --19, with the consequence that a true groove is out without any tendency to form a thread or spiral race. The cutter 1G or follower is set at a right angle with the axis of the tool and follows in the groove formed by the pilot cutter. The side faces of the cutters l5 and 16- are convex to strengthen them. The follower cutter is narrower than the pilot cutter, and is therefore, sharper and will perform a greater amount of the cutting operation. The pilot cutter being heavier, will be able to bear the extra burden placed thereon due to thecutter being placed at an angle, as the groove cut thereby is of greater width than the profile of the cutter. The pilot cutter, being the heavier, forms the bead or flange 38 produced in the cutting operation, and being placed at an angle, snaps 0d the end of the tube, when the tool is severing the tube on the outside of the tube sheet. Owing to the follower cutter 16- being the sharper, it will push its way through the tube, if the tube has any soft spots. To prevent the tool sticking and any consequent breakage of the tool or tube under forced operation, the follower cutter 16 is provided with extended hubs -37 and the height of the cutting edge of the cutter above the hub is made equal to the height of the rolled flange -38 produced during the cutting operation, as shown in Fig. 10. The cutter cannot therefore, force its way through the tube to an extent that might cause injury to the tool. The hubs 37 also tend to expand and tighten the tubes in the tube sheet. As the height of the cutting edge is equal to the height of the rolled flange, the tubes will be held in place by the scale and burr when the tubes are being cut on the inside of the tube sheet. 7

The cutters '-15- and --16- are supported in the carriers 10 and llby means of pins 39. To hold these pins stationary while the cutters revolve, the said pins are provided with plane or flattened faces -40 (Fig. 8) which'may be parallel with or inclined to the axis of the pins. The faces 40 are at one end of the pins and lie within the opening of the carriers provided to receive said pins. Directly above the said faces 40-, the carriers are dented as at 4cl-, thereby forming a non circular opening which prevents the said pins rotating. This arrangement does not, however, prevent said pins being extracted from the other end of the carriers to permit of the removal and insertion of the cutters 15 and 16.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tube cutter, a body portion, a circular pilot cutter mounted in said body portion on an angle thereto and adapted to cut a pilot groove, a relatively thin circular follower cutter adapted to enter said groove and to perform a greater amount of the subsequent cutting operation, means for expanding said cutters, and means for rotating said body portion.

2. In a tube cutter; a body portion; a pilot cutter and a follower cutter mounted in said body portion; the axis of the pilot cutter being disposed at an angle to the axis of the tool whereby the said pilot cutter is adapted to cut a pilot groove; said follower cutter being sharper than said pilot cutter; means adapted to expand said cutters; means for rotating said body portion; and a guard on said body portion.

In a tube cutter; a body portion; a pilot cutter and a follower cutter mounted in said body portion; the axis of the pilot cutter being disposed at an angle with the axis of the tool whereby said pilot cutter is adapted to out a pilot groove; said follower cutter being sharper than said pilot cutter; the said follower cutter having hubs adapted to limit the penetration of the cutter; means adapted to expand said cutter; means for rotating said body portion; and a guard mounted on said body portion.

4. In a tube cutter; a body portion; a pilot cutter and a follower cutter mounted in said body portion; the axis of the pilot cutter being disposed at an angle with the axis of the tool whereby said pilot cutter is adapted to cut a pilot groove, said follower cutter being sharper than said pilot cutter; said follower cutter having hub extensions; the height of the cutting edge of the said follower cutter above the hubs, being approximately equal to the height of ,the flange rolled in the tube in the process of cutting; means adapted to expand said outters; means for rotating said body portion; and a guard mounted on said body portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTTO WIEDEKE. 

